Mistress of the Art of Death: A Novel

In medieval England, four children have been murdered, and the townsfolk blame their Jewish neighbors. The doctor chosen to investigate is a woman, Adelia. As she examines the victims and retraces their last steps, she must conceal her true identity in order to avoid accusations of witchcraft. Along the way, she's assisted by Sir Rowley Picot, a man with a personal stake in the investigation. A former Crusader knight, Rowley may be a needed friend - or the fiend for whom they are searching.

History-Mystery of the Year & its only March

Adelia is sent from Salerno to Cambridge, requested by Henry II, and ordered by the King of Sicily, to look into the deaths of several children in med..Show More »ieval Cambridge. She arrives with Simon of Naples, a Jewish fixer and Mansur her Saracen manservant. Adelia is a doctor who "reads bodies." She is strong, straight talking, and devoted to science. She is also broadminded & has a sense of humor. On the road into town she cures a local Prior which gives her the beginnings of support in the town. The support grows as her unique qualities, and those of her companions, attract help from other people in town.

I will not give anything else away.
It's a must read. It combines everything I love in an Audible book: history, mystery, intelligence, humor, characters you care about, an excellent reader, and great writing.

The Mistress of the Art of Death: Mistress Of The Art Of Death 1

In Cambridge a child has been hideously murdered and other children have disappeared. The Jews, made scapegoats by the all-powerful Christian clergy, have been forced to retreat into the castle to avoid slaughter by angry townspeople. Henry, King of England, is displeased. The Jews provide a large part of his revenue and therefore the real killer must be found, and quickly.

The Serpent's Tale

Adelia is back in action! Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the detail and drama of medieval fiction in this enthralling historical novel, the second in the Mistress of the Art of Death series.

Great series

I wish Audible would put these in order, though. The first in the series is Mistress in the Art of Death. Second is The Serpent's Tale; third is Grave..Show More » Goods; fourth is Murderous Procession. The books, consumed in the correct sequence, develop the main characters quite well and each story line is totally satisfying.

The Death Maze: Mistress Of The Art Of Death 2

Since solving a particularly nasty case of child murder using her forensic skills, Adelia Aguilar is deemed too valuable to send back to the School of Medicine in Salerno. Instead, King Henry II has decided to keep her in England. This is bad news for Adelia – in twelfth-century England women doctors are regarded with great suspicion. So, with her illegitimate child, Adelia is forced to live and practise in the secrecy of Cambridgeshire’s fenland. But at Henry’s court, terrible things are happening.

Grave Goods

England, 1176. Beautiful, tranquil Glastonbury Abbey - one of England's holiest sites, and believed by some to be King Arthur's sacred Isle of Avalon - has been burned almost to the ground. The arsonist remains at large, but the fire has uncovered something even more shocking: two hidden skeletons, a man and a woman. The skeletons' height and age send rumors flying - are the remains those of Arthur and Guinevere?

A surprising thrill ride

I loved it. A few inconsistencies here and there, and yes, I anticipated most of the plot moves but who cares? The dialog was spot on, the characters ..Show More »well rounded and real. The reader, Kate Reading, was terrific. Her voice brought the various people alive. She is surprising adept at male voices. Am I the only person who hears her Henry speaking the words of the author, Franklin, and sees Peter O'Toole? Adelia's insight into the nature of the men who turn out to be her friends and saviors is wonderful to listen to. This was one of those books I couldn't wait to hear the end of, yet I did not want it to end. I can't wait for more!

Relics of the Dead: Mistress Of The Art Of Death 3

On hearing of this momentous discovery, King Henry II demands evidence that the legendary Arthur is dead. So he calls upon his Mistress of the Art of Death, anatomist Adelia Aguilar, to examine the bones. But someone doesn’t want the skeletons identified – and is prepared to kill in order to prevent it…

Intriguing mystery, fascinating historical context

I love this series - this is the third of four, and I almost don't want to listen to the next, knowing that it's the last. The characters are strong a..Show More »nd intriguing, the historical setting and context well explained without being over explained. Henry II is the Plantagenet King of England, and Adelia, a female doctor from Salerno reluctantly agrees to conduct one more investigation into some mysterious deaths for him. Evil outlaws and evil mother-in-laws, mad monks and lepers all play a part in this fine fine mystery. It's also beautifully read, with even the minor characters, men and women from different regions and levels of society, given voices that are distinctive and convincing without falling into irritating stereotype.

A Murderous Procession: A Mistress of the Art of Death Novel

National best-selling author Ariana Franklin resumes her Mistress of the Art of Death series with A Murderous Procession. In 1176, King Henry II’s daughter is set to marry the king of Sicily. But when several wedding guests are murdered during the procession, Adelia must uncover who is behind the killings and who is the killer’s real target.

The end of a fantastic series?

I loved all four of the "Mistress of the Art of Death" books and really can't say enough wonderful things about them all. This one was diff..Show More »erent, as others have stated, and I felt a little thrown off by the change. As for the comments on Adelia's change in focus, I felt like she had decided that she wanted her life to take a different turn than she had been following.

But these books are what I think of as "re-reads" and I'll probably listen to all of them many more times.

Unfortunately, Ariana Franklin (Diana Norman) passed away in January 2011, which makes this book even more poignant. I don't cry over books, but I have to say the end of this one really broke my heart in more ways than one.

The Assassin's Prayer: Mistress Of The Art Of Death 4

Adelia Aguilar is to accompany 10-year-old Princess Joanna on her thousand-mile journey to marry the King of Sicily. They must take with them the legendary sword Excalibur. And so Adelia sets sail with the golden princess and her lavish procession of nobles, musicians, servants, laundresses, grooms, luggage and treasure. But when members of the procession begin to die and it looks as though Adelia is to blame, there are dangerous accusations of witchcraft.